After testifying in Twitter libel case, Cross says he and Love still ‘BFFs’

TORONTO – Canadian radio fixture Alan Cross says that being called in by the prosecution to testify in Courtney Love’s recent Twitter libel case sure didn’t hurt his relationship with the controversial rocker.

“We seem to be BFFs now,” the Toronto-based broadcaster laughed in a recent interview, using the popular shorthand for “best friends forever.”

“We text back and forth all the time.”

A rather surreal ending to a wholly surreal affair for Cross.

The Love saga began when the 49-year-old hired San Diego lawyer Rhonda Holmes to handle a fraud case against those managing the estate of her late husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

The relationship between Love and Holmes soured at some point, and Love later issued a tweet saying she was “devastated” that Holmes had been “bought off.”

Holmes subsequently sued Love for defamation over the tweet. A jury ultimately rejected the case in January, finding that Love’s tweet may have included “false information” but that she didn’t know it was untrue.

Cross was called to testify during that defamation case because in July 2010 he interviewed Love for the now-defunct website ExploreMusic.com. Love discussed with Cross her frustration over the fraud litigation, declining to mention Holmes by name but still telling him she’d been “hiring and firing lawyers” and that one lawyer in specific had stopped taking her calls because they “got to her.”

(In an unfortunate twist, a technological hiccup prevented Cross’s recording device from working and he had to recall the interview from memory. But he’s confident his quotes were “rock-solid.”)

Cross was called in about a year after the article was posted for a two-hour deposition. When the case went to trial, Cross was again called in, and though his status as a Canadian meant he wasn’t obligated to testify, he wanted to make sure his article wasn’t misinterpreted or misrepresented.

“It was extremely surreal,” he said of the experience. “I went to the L.A. county courthouse and (to a courtroom) that looks exactly like the courtrooms we saw on the O.J. (Simpson) trial and the Michael Jackson trial.”

Cross says he wanted to be as “neutral as possible” and avoid representing either side’s interest.

He thinks that both parties left the proceedings somewhat pleased with the outcome. Love praised her lawyers and the jury after the verdict, while Holmes’ lawyer Mitchell Langberg said that though his client was disappointed with the outcome, she was pleased that her reputation was upheld.

Cross, meanwhile, is excited for his next opportunity to speak to Love. Having interviewed her many times since 1997, he offers significant praise for the unpredictable rocker.

“She’s one of the most fascinating people you will ever meet,” he said. “A lot of people will portray her as being completely crazy, but the woman is unbelievably smart.

“She can hold forth on virtually any subject, from politics to art to pop culture to music to anything,” he added. “I find her absolutely fascinating to talk to.”

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